


Thanksgiving with the Donner Party

by Sephypsycologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, treat these boys right, undertum - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-28 04:23:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17175806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: Lots of monsters came out of Mount Ebbot, from lots of different walks of life.Your new neighbors had some of the roughest goes of things.





	1. Treats

When the many caverns of Mt. Ebbot had been emptied, the monsters had flowed into your little tourist town quite fast.

There had been multiple civilizations down there, and a few had been…less fortunate than others. Your neighborhood was relatively far from the mountainside, so it wasn’t until a year or so after Surface Break that you got new neighbors.

Lucky you, your neighbors were the monsters who’d had to go through this whole time in intensive therapy since they all survived murder-inducing famine.

–

You knew the monsters who’d moved in to the three houses in your aging neighborhood weren’t quite right, somehow, but it wasn’t until you looked into things a bit that you knew about the…humanitarianism. But, just like everyone’s favorite ‘party’, there were plenty of good reasons for it, and you weren’t going to begrudge these folks just because they’d become desperate. Humans do the same given the circumstances.

But it did seem curious to you that these neighbors were all skeletons. And even curiouser when your first encounter with one was watching three of them jog down the street in various bizarre and mismatched exercise outfits.

Making friends hadn’t seemed wise, but you weren’t given much choice when the jogging trio halted right in front of you as you stood stunned on your back porch.

“Oh!” said the shortest member, his sockets lit up with bright blue lights, “Our first encounter with a human! Hello, dear neighbor!” He smiled, but it didn’t remove the clear anxiety from his expression, the malleable brow bones tilted inward with concern. “You can call me Cyan! I live across the street!”

One of the two taller skeletons, a shiny set of braces with bright orange bands decorating his disarray of teeth, nodded emphatically, “AND I AM…ER…WELL, CALL ME PAPYRUS UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT A NICKNAME FOR ME!”

The last, arms crossed and expression crosser, hissed, “You will call me Chief, and I have the unfortunate honor of being beside you on this side, human. Do not make the mistake of irritating me.”

“Now Chief!” Cyan frowned, laying his hands over his chest in an odd position, “You know what our therapists said about being hostile on first impressions. Why don’t we have a bit of a block party so we can all get to know our new neighbor? Isn’t that better than not making friends?”

You were just flabbergasted, though Papyrus chuckled and made his way over, very gingerly and seeming to make steps to ensure you weren’t alarmed by his presence before coming too close. While Cyan and Chief argued, Papyrus offered his red-gloved hand, “IT’S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, HUMAN NEIGHBOR. CAN I HAVE YOUR NAME, PERHAPS, SO WE MIGHT MAKE OUR FRIENDSHIP MORE OFFICIAL?”

Friendly greetings were definitely a plus, and you introduced yourself with a small stammer before having your hand shaken nearly out of joint. “OH THAT IS A WONDERFUL NAME. I HAVEN’T HEARD IT BEFORE AND THAT’S SOMETHING!”

“Uh, heh, cool. Papyrus, um, what…exactly were you planning with that outfit? It’s a little warm for all those layers?” You couldn’t help but ask.

He perked up and twinkled (wow magic) before replying, “WELL, I ALWAYS WEAR MY NORMAL CLOTHES UNDER MY SPECIAL OCCASION CLOTHES, AND THOSE ARE UNDER…OH…” Something like sadness flashed over his sockets before he shook his head and continued, “ANYWAY, I’M FROM A COLD PART OF THE UNDERGROUND, SO IT’S JUST A HABIT TO WEAR LOTS OF CLOTHES. AND BEING A SKELETON, THE TEMPERATURE DOESN’T BOTHER ME MUCH!”

His voice was exceedingly loud, but the squint of his sockets and jaunty tone he took made you think of an old man having fun. It was surprisingly reassuring, despite the dread in your chest as you remembered just how very easily he could murder you with just such a cheery swing of his arm.

Cyan noticed the discussion once he and Chief had come to an agreement, then rushed over, “Human, would it be alright if we three, and our three brothers, met out here in the street this coming Tuesday? Since we’re new to the surface, and the neighborhood, we’d like to meet as many of our neighbors as possible.”

Considering you hadn’t exactly met a lot of your neighbors either (being an introvert), you hesitated. Most of your other neighbors were old people, and they probably weren’t going to be as forgiving of human-eating as you were. Still, seeing the hope in Cyan’s eye lights, matching the eager look Papyrus was giving you, you finally nodded. “Sounds like a plan, Cyan.”

He and Papyrus cheered, then ran further down the street, Chief huffing, “We will see you Tuesday. Meanwhile, I suppose we’ll have to invite the rest of the humans today….fare well.” Rushing off after the others, his many scars gleaming whiter than the rest of his bones, Chief left you.

–

You were the only human who showed up for the meet and greet. In fact, even after a month, you were the only person you knew who was regularly interacting with Cyan, Chief, and Papyrus.

Their brothers were all damaged in obvious ways, unlike your energetic welcoming committee. Sans, Papyrus’ brother, had a massive hole in the back of his skull and was missing an eye light, but he had a dark sense of humor that somehow put you on edge while also making you cackle with laughter.

Cyan’s brother, Amber, had a split down the very center of his skull, just between his eyes, and always wore glasses to correct the vision problems this apparently caused. He was the most calm out of all six skeletons, and you ended up sitting near him most times the six of them came out to talk to you, or any time he and Cyan walked over to your house to ask about human things or just shoot the breeze. 

And Pepper….gosh your soul ached for him. He usually stood slightly behind Chief and was laughing on and off any time he talked. You couldn’t blame him, after all. His skull damage was worse than Sans’ and Chief explained the laughter was involuntary but reduced when he was comfortable.

One thing all the brothers had in common was a strange ability to always catch you out. No matter how varied your routine, you always seemed to be running into at least one of them every time you left the house. At the store, refueling your car, at the library, in the yard, anytime you left the house, a skeleton popped out.

Eventually, you even stopped being afraid of them. Surprisingly, this came after Papyrus and Cyan both told you (tearfully) about how bad things had been compared to now. You’d asked how they were holding up after a big rally of anti-monster protesters had rioted in a nearby town, and it sparked into a flood of confessions.

Knowing what had happened, knowing how their bright and vivacious selves had faded into a numb haze while surviving, the giddy madness that had held them fast till their hard work brought clarity back….You’d ended up in tears as well.

You’d hugged them both and said how proud you were they’d had the courage to get better, that you were so glad you were friends with them and that they’d lived through that awful situation. And something inside you had vanished, like a ten pound weight had turned to smoke instead.

—

It took longer for the lazier brothers to trust you, but you didn’t mind. You had learned to love Cyan and Papyrus exactly as they are, and soon enough their brothers realized that was the case. Amber was always easygoing with you, but you could tell when his lanky frame finally dropped all tension when you were around. Sans…you weren’t sure when he decided you were okay, but one day he was suddenly elbowing you playfully, or showing you stupid memes on his phone, when he hadn’t come within six inches of you until then.

It was Pepper who cracked his silence first out of the two “edgy” brothers. He and Chief tended to be distant and irritable, but he broke one day when he came into Papyrus and Sans’ house only to find you being pinned by a sleeping Sans to the couch. You smiled at him, and he suddenly whined and flopped his head on your shoulder, “hahahahhaha, human, i just, hehehe, just don’t understand you. he’s sleepin’ on your legs, totally at ease, when he didn’t so much as doze for six weeks when we got up here. ehehe….maybe…..maybe ya could work some’a that magic on me?”

“Gladly,” you replied, and you soon got two skeletons sleeping against you, with Pepper on the other empty seat and leaned against you, arms wrapped around one of yours like a lifeline.

It was easy to get Chief to melt his icy facade after that. Pepper began genuinely smiling when you showed up, and once the giggle box started outright hugging you on sight, Chief’s usual aloof speeches became respectful conversations. He was a reasonable monster at heart, and finding someone who had given his troubled brother some peace of mind had been a boon. You just smile at him and nod. Somehow, you’d always known he was a protective type.

–

You shared your holidays with “the boys” since you lived alone, and it made for quite a year. 

Easter proved the first hurdle when no one understood what it was about, making you try to explain and ending up just as confused till you just laughed and said “It’s a yearly excuse to eat a lot of colorful eggs and candy.”

Then came Independence Day, and you ended up with a house full of skeletons wearing your multiple old pairs of headphones to cancel out the noise of the fireworks in order to have some peace of mind. It was more fun watching movies inside anyway than getting bitten by insects outside.

Birthdays were fun, since it was always a surprise whose it was because none of them would tell you if you asked and you just had to find out the day of. 

You got them all gifts, of course, and they appreciated it. Pepper and Sans both seemed irritated when people stared at their head wounds, and this hurt your feelings, too, when you were out with them. So, you’d gifted them with a variety of absolutely silly hats, beanies, and do-rags for their birthdays, enjoying the way their eye lights flared with interest and those sarcastic smiles turned softer and genuine. It was even funnier when they started trading with each other just to see if you noticed (you did).

Papyrus cried when you gave him a set of italian cook books, having heard his normal subject of cookery and noodles for months. It took Sans ten full minutes to save you from the crushing hug he gave you while his orange tears soaked your hair during his emphatic thank yous.

Cyan’s eye lights turned to stars at the dancing game you got for his playstation, and Amber laughed softly at the mustache glasses (gag gift) and went thoughtfully quiet at the set of exotic honey (actual gift). They were always the easiest for you to get along with, but that had made getting their presents that much harder, because you wanted so badly to treat them right.

Chief didn’t express his feelings about the book of inspirational quotes for leaders, but you’d caught him reading it, now and again.

And of course everyone loved the Labor Day picnic you insisted they have with you.

The boys has said something once (it was Pepper and Amber teasing Sans, you think) about him making a nest for you if you got any more comfortable with him. So you’d built them for each of them out of various comfy materials around your home.

It was only after that you’d learned this was a skeleton thing, and that you’d unintentionally offered yourself to be their closest friend, something close to a blood sibling. But you hadn’t minded, and now you were glad each boy had a space tailored for their comfort.

—

That picnic is what inspired today.

Thanksgiving was a huge deal alone, but you had undertaken this for your friends. They’d all been so eager about your cooking at the picnic, and now you were going to blow them out of the water!

Turkey, cranberry sauce from scratch, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, the whole shebang and you’d made it all. Still, you were so tired now. But it’d be worth it for the expressions on their faces.

You finally give the boys a call and tell them you’re ready for guests, then sit at the head of the table to wait for them. Everything is perfect, set exactly like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Creaking slightly, your front door opened and in spilled six skeletons.

“HUMAN! YOU SAID YOU…oh….Oh my…” Papyrus’ voice softened and he almost whined as his sockets fell on the table. “H-human…you…Do you mean to share all this with us?”

Nodding, you grin, “I do. I made all of this as a traditonal Thanksgiving dinner. The point of this holiday is to give thanks for our blessings. And this year my biggest blessings have been you guys.”

Sans was speechless for once, no puns, no dark jokes, but you notice a ribbon of black drool seeping out of his teeth as he took a seat at the table. His single red eye light was tiny and darting from one plate to the next like it was a dream.

Papyrus jolted a little bit from the cluster in the entry hall, and said, “W-WELL! LET US ALL GIVE THANKS FOR OUR DARLING HUMAN FRIEND, WHO HAS GRACIOUSLY MADE US A FEAST! TO THE TABLE!”

Cyan looked ready to cry, but his smile had never been brighter as he perched on your right, “O-oh Human, thank you! You…you REALLY don’t know how much this means for us. F-for all of us!”

You squeezed his blue gloves softly and laughed just a bit, “Cyan, I can see it in your faces. And that’s exactly what I wanted, to make you all realize how much you’ve come to mean to me now that you’re part of my life.”

He sniffled and nodded quickly, shaking loose of you supportive grip to take a plate in hand.

Chief sat on your other side as they all stared at the food. “How exactly are we to divide this bounty, human? Meals of this extravagance are….unheard of, in monster circles.”

Taking your own plate, you demonstrate, “Take a bit from each serving dish, then eat. If you can’t reach something, you ask the person closest to it to pass it down to you.”

Nodding, and needing no further instruction, the boys set upon your carefully made dinner with a frenzy. This left you amazed, and very VERY glad you’d gotten your plate first.

–

Your table has been ransacked.

The turkey is bones, the serving dishes are empty, but you only got one plate.

One.

This has been an exercise in fascinating gluttony on the part of your skeletons, and they are now littered about your house in various states of pain from their indulgence, even the more responsible ones.

Now you were going to take care of them as best you could.


	2. Horrorswap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber and Cyan need some help

In the living room, Amber is looking a little worse for wear as he lies limp in his nest. He still has crumbs around his mouth, and his shirt is stretched tight over the round ball under his ribs.

“Doing alright, there, o tall one?” you tease gently as you settle next to him on the floor.

“guuhhhhh” is all he says, but he makes an expression fairly close to pouting. It’s clear from how much light is coming through the thick fabric of his shirt that he’s definitely overdone it by a good margin.

“That a no?” You shake your head with a smile, then give an experimental pat to him. Yep, tight as a tympani but solid. “Definite no. And here I was worried if you’d like anything today.”

“d-don’t *hic* don’t mention it…” Amber groaned softly, sockets still closed, “feel like…mmn…just gonna dust right now.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” chiding him with warmth in your voice, you carefully slip the confining shirt upward so his dark golden magic can be a bit less cramped. “You should unzip your pants, too, but I’m not doing that for you.”

“no moving. Nope. you do it or it’s not gettin’ done,” you listened to his shallow breathing, the uneasy swallows now and again.

“You really are struggling, aren’t you?” Poor Amber. Well, you suppose since he asked…

You quickly undo the button and zipper on his pants (once you can manage against the strain on them) and he jolts in surprise at the force behind it. Still, now that the pressure was gone, Amber relaxed. “whew…much better. still hurts, but not so much.”

Proud of helping, you scramble closer and beam at him, “Now what, you tall turkey?”

He pushes your face away softly, “nope, no talking about those for a while. come, nest with me, be my heat source.”

Laughter rings out of you, and you do as he suggests. He sighs contentedly, and you can’t resist snuggling into the comfy nest. He’s plenty warm himself, but apparently having you leaning up against him helps somehow. You idly smooth your hand over the silky surface of his magic, the burbling underneath strange and interesting to feel under your fingers.

It’s not surprising that you soon hear him start to snore, and even less that he remains asleep when you get up.

\--

“I…how….why did you DO that?” you murmur as you gently help Cyan into a more comfortable sitting position in one of the many little ‘nests’ that littered your home. His was in the guest room, just inside the hallway to all the bedrooms. You can see his stomach glowing brightly through his shirt, illuminating his rib guard from below and behind.

The little skeleton whimpers and squirms a bit, “I didn’t *hic* w-want to miss out. Mnngh…o-owie….” You fluff up the pillows behind him and let him lean back, getting a groan of slight relief in response from both him and his aching stomach.

“Leftovers are a thing up here, busy bones,” you coo, patting his skull gently. “You don’t ever have to worry about missing food anymore.”

Even in his discomfort, he smiles gratefully at you. “Am…am I a bad guest?” he asks shyly, stifling a pocket of air freed by his movement with both his hands.

“No, silly. You’re just not used to having a lot of food in front of you. Portion control is a skill, and needs practice like any other,” your hand is very gently rubbing the side of the swollen magic bubble at his waist. “You’ll get it soon. It’s okay.”

He made a soft “mweh!” of surprise at your touch, but then began rubbing his chest anxiously.

“Your rib guard might be putting some extra pressure on your tum, sweetie,” you note, looking at him understandingly, “might want to take it off if it’s too painful right now.”

His eye lights looked you over as his round cheekbones turned slowly blue, but then a loud growl came from his stomach and he nodded, “Y-yes…mmn…help me?”

Happily, you gently ease his t-shirt off and then undo the small straps that hold the plastic plate in place over his shattered ribcage. Lifting it off, Cyan instantly relaxes and sighs deeply, “Oh, that is such a *hic* relief. I never r-realized it was,” he yawned softly and blinked, “s-so heavy and…and pokey before.”

The short skeleton snuggles into the nest you built for him months ago, and the angry gurgles from his stomach have died down to soft bubbling. You resume the easy rubbing as Cyan gets comfortable, “Well, you probably haven’t had it on with such a full stomach before.”

His magic feels cool to the touch, the membrane pleasingly smooth despite the roiling going on inside. Yawning again, Cyan asks sleepily, “Can…can I sleep here, just a bit? I don’t *hic* want to i-impose…”

“Course you can, busy bones,” you grin at him, tucking a blanket over his body gently and folding his shirt for him, “take a rest and everything’ll feel better. Sleep as long as you like.”

He hummed and nodded, cuddling one of the nest’s pillows like a plushie as he drifted into a well earned food coma.

You set his rib shield on top of the folded shirt, and turn the lights down low so Cyan can rest more deeply, before heading off to check on the others.


	3. Horrorfell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Chief get the treatment

Moving to Pepper’s nest in the basement, next to the washer and dryer in your make-shift museum for your collections, you kneel and touch his hand gently, “Pepper? Hey, you doing any better?”

He shakes his head no, and you ask him, “Is there anything you want me to do to help?”

A nod, but he doesn’t speak, instead squeezing your hand tight when a sharp, angry sound burbles out of him.

“Oh gosh, Pepper…” you sigh and scoot close, sitting properly for a moment, “How bout this? I have to go check on your brother and the others, but I’ll come back with a heating pad?”

“no! ahaha-hic!” He winces and shudders, the laughter having shaken his belly harshly and caused a wave of cramping, “d-don’t leave me.”

You sigh and grab one of the blankets from the laundry basket nearby, then gently cuddle up in the nest with him and drape it over the both of you, “Then I’ll be your heater.”

Pepper’s arm is around you instantly, and you begin to realize he’s hiding a lot more pain than you first thought. There are small red tears in the corner of his good socket, and even the smallest touch of your hands on his stomach make him whimper pitifully. “Oh, sweetheart…” You coo softly, rubbing feather light circles on the near-burning red magic under his shirt, “don’t worry. I’ve got you. Just try to relax.”

His bones are rattling, and you realize how much he’s having to fight to hold in the laughter that will only make things worse. Pepper’s free hand is clamped over his mouth and his sockets are both screwed shut tightly, dripping magic now and again.

It takes a few minutes like this, but you slowly feel the hard knot inside him soften, his stomach regaining a bit of give to its surface and the laughter from behind his hand becoming less frequent. It’s still very noisy there, the sloshing and gurgling unabated, but the pain associated is ebbing.

“thanks, p-pal…mngh….” He murmurs, nuzzling into your head gently. You smile and nuzzle back, not minding at all.

“Anytime, Pepper. This is my doing, after all.”

You feel his teeth shift into a frown, “but, heehee, you didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Well, no, but I should have remembered you guys aren’t used to food being around all the time,” You lay your head on his chest with a sigh, “But at least now I know for sure you’re eating enough.”

Groaning softly, he cuddles you closer and you wrap your other arm around him.

After a bit, he seems to be sagging in your grip, and soon enough he’s out, making soft little chuckles in his sleep and hugging you closer.

You might be here a while…

But you will get out eventually, and there are other skeletons to see.

\--

You go into the study, and find Chief rubbing his sockets in his nest.

Chief has the least painful problem, though you can’t help but smile at how much he’s blushing as you offer him an extra, fresh from the dryer blanket. He takes it and mumbles “Thank you,” before placing the folded fluff right over the adorably small lump of his belly. His shoulders relax visibly, and it makes you giggle, causing the blush to get more.

“You know it’s okay to let go once in a while, Chief. Everybody’s in the same boat with you and honestly, I think it was sweet that you all liked what I made as much as you did,” you tell him gently, and he looks away with a small flustered sound.

“It is unbecoming of someone in my position to become so…lax, at any point,” he murmured, the shame tinging his rough voice.

“You’re at home, Chief,” you touch his arm softly, smiling, “with the people who love you. There’s no better place to relax, is there?”

He sighs and shakes his head, but a small smile edges into his mouth, “I suppose you have a point, human. Now go take care of the others. They are much worse off than me.”

“But you’re probably the least used to this feeling, I’ll bet,” you chuckle. “You seem to be such a discipline guy, so I doubt you’ve had a problem with overeating ever.”

Blushing, he growls a bit and looks away, shaking you off his arm.

With a small push, you are directed away, but you grin at him, “I’m coming back to make sure you get some rest, though. Later.” He huffs and rolls his eye lights as you leave.


	4. Horrortale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Papy finally get seen to

Heading to the game room, you find the nest you’re looking for.

Sans has a pillow over his face, and seems to have ended up with the worst case out of everyone. His shirt has ridden up and you can see the magic swirling inside the brightly glowing dome beneath, a weird mix of black, purple, red, and blue. “Doing any better, buddy?” You ask him gently.

He doesn’t answer except to flop his hand on top of the pillow and wave you off with the other one. Apparently he wants to be left alone for now.

“Alright, well, you know how to get me.” You shrug and head over to the next patient. You aren’t about to push him to let you help.

“wait,” he murmurs, and you do stop.

“Yes?”

 

He slips the pillow over so he can look at you with is one good eye, “come here.”

You shrug and do as asked, knowing he’s always been at least a bit contrary since you’ve known him. Once you’re seated next to him, you can hear the churning magic clearly, and you frown. His breathing is shallow, too, despite there being no lungs to be compressed by the impressive amount of food packed inside him.

Not content with words, or more likely unwilling to talk, he yanks your hand a little roughly to rest on the surface. You know what he’s asking for without needing the small nudge from his fingers to start the rubbing motion.

“You could’ve just asked from the start instead of trying to make me leave, bonehead,” you murmur to him, but there’s humor in your voice and your movements are smooth clockwise circles. The texture of the magic membrane is smooth and soft, through it has no give to it from how densely packed its contents are. Its owner just grunts begrudgingly, and you realize he’s embarrassed that he needs you to help him like this.

“Okay, I get it. But am I at least making you feel better?” Sans shifts the pillow back over his face but says something you can’t make out just to be irritating. You are actually amused by how much of a baby he’s being. “You’ll be able to breathe, and talk, easier if you don’t have that over your head. Also, maybe lose the pants, cause as stretchy as they may be, they look awful tight now.”

He jolts and hisses, letting the pillow drop off his face, “nope. pants stay on, or *hic* or you leave.”

Chuckling, you nod and continue rubbing, “Okay Mr. Modest, I get it. This’ll take a while, but it’ll help. Anything else you’d like me to do besides?”

“nope…” he huffs and looks at the ceiling, “just *hic* don’t stop. and maybe don’t make so much….ever again.”

“I won’t make so much again until you guys get more accustomed to having food that won’t suddenly stop coming,” you assure him as he zones out.

There’s a quiet for a while, punctuated here and there by sour grumbles and groans from the mess beneath your hands, but it’s peaceful.

“thanks, by the way,” the skeleton in the pillow nest says softly, at last. “mmmn…you do a lot, for us. not so sure i’m worth it, but for my brother’s sake, thank you.”

You sigh and poke very gently at his stomach, “Sans, you dork, I just told you earlier you’re one of my blessings. I made this,” you poke again, and he wriggles a bit, “happen because I know food is important to all of you. That sharing it is the ultimate way of saying you care about someone.” Unable to resist, you flop over next to him and look him in the face. “Buddy, you’re worth everything I do and more. At least you are to me, anyway.”

He doesn’t look at you, but pulls you in with one arm and squishes you against him, “heh, fine. but that doesn’t get you off the hook for this. i’ll have one killer prank for april fools’ next year. it’ll be a scream.”

“Nooo, not the black comedy!” you giggle, but don’t push him away. Instead, you resume your work and stay put, happy in this free affection till he’s snoring softly and you can get yourself loose.

\--

Papyrus is clutching a pillow tightly when you get to his nest in your walk in closet. “H-HUMAN….” he shivers as you approach.

“Hey, buddy,” you greet him, gently pushing on his shoulders, “It’ll hurt less if you lay back instead of curling up and squishing yourself, y’know.”

He hisses as he does what you said, and you tut softly as you see the dark orange glow under his thin shirt, “Poor Papy…you going to be alright?”

“YES OF COURSE I-” he freezes for a moment and winces, “UGH….TH-THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT SO EASILY FELLED. B-BUT UM….” His sockets squint sadly before he looks at you with a soft blush, “IF…IF IT’S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE, ONCE YOU’VE SEEN TO THE OTHERS…COULD YOU…UM…” He can’t finish his sentence, becoming too shy.

“How about I help you right now instead?” You fluff up his pillows as you say that, then bring a fluffy blanket from your own bed to wrap him up in.

Surprisingly quiet, Papyrus seems likely not to say much else until a particularly unhappy grumble makes him yelp, “NYEH! OH STARS, I’M SO SORRY!” His hands go over his face and you sigh.

“Why, though, sweetie?” He’s so embarrassed, but you gently put his hands down and touch foreheads, “You can’t help it if your tummy is upset and loud right now. It’s okay. I think it’s cute~”

“Y-you do?” his voice is velvety soft with dismay, and also to not hurt your ears at this close range.

“Mmhm.” You back off just a bit and smile, “Just like your braces, and those glasses you keep forgetting. You’re a lovely person and all of you is adorable.”

Papyrus squeaked softly and blushed more, but you notice he clings to you when you get close enough, his comfort pillow forgotten.

“Now, is it okay if I rub your tummy for you? It’ll help you feel better faster,” you offer, and he nods with a soft hum of assent. “Good.”

He melts against you once you start, skull nestled on top of yours as the rest of him slumps. He even purrs a bit, and you can’t help yourself; you do your best to purr back. You just love Papyrus when he’s so content, and knowing you took the pain away for him is extremely gratifying.

When your skele-puddle is happy enough, and you can tell his stomach’s settled down, you extricate yourself from him and kiss the top of his skull softly before going to clean up the dishes.


	5. Silent Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

You take your time with the dishes, knowing most of the skeletons are either asleep or at least comfortable where they're at.

You put what you can in the dishwasher, turning it on before leaving the rest of the serving dishes soaking. Once that's done, you sweep up the crumbs and debris around the table, clean it off, and arrange the boys' shoes at the door. The jogging team always made sure they and their brothers took them off before entering the house, and you're glad since it was a bit muddy out from a rain yesterday.

The clicking of bones on the floor makes you look up.

Chief still has the blanket around his waist, but he sighs and says, "I'm going to see my brother. I'm...I'm alright." He's still shy about this whole thing, blushing a gentle cherry color.

"Just don't strain yourself, Chief. I'm pretty sure everybody is going to spend the night," You grin at him, and he has to cover his face to hide a smile.

"Alright. Goodnight, human," he huffs finally as he heads to the basement stairs.

You hear the clacking again, but it comes out of your room and into the game room, and you know it's Papyrus doing the same thing as Chief with his brother. They're always happier if they're all together, and you find it incredibly sweet. You also suspect Papyrus was probably a bit worried about invading your space as well, since his nest was technically in your bedroom.

Either way, you feel perfectly secure as you head back down the hall to your bedroom. There are several different snores around, but you're pretty happy with the sound. Six sleepy skeletons, and one little you, gives you a contented feeling deep inside as you drift off to sleep.

You hope they'll like Christmas, too.


End file.
